How to overcome height anxiety? You don’t really need to rely on height-increasing injections →

Everyone wants to have long legs and be tall, but height is not something that can be controlled at will. How to overcome "height anxiety"? Can height-increasing injections be injected at will? Let's see the secret of "growing taller">>>

Written by reporter Lai Tianying Edited by Liu Zhao

Interview experts:

Wu Wanshui (Chief Physician of Pediatrics, Beijing Century Altar Hospital, Capital Medical University)

Gao Shan (Chief Physician, Department of Endocrinology, Beijing Chaoyang Hospital, Capital Medical University)

Xu Weisheng (Associate Researcher, Institute of Nutrition and Health, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention)

Shi Shuai (Clinical Pharmacist, Inner Mongolia Maternal and Child Health Hospital)

(Photo source/Visual China)

"I want to give my child an injection!" Xiaolin's mother has become a semi-expert in height growth. Xiaolin was born in 2011. When she was 9 years old last year, she found several pimples on her forehead. At that time, she thought it was a skin problem and didn't pay attention to it. Later, it gradually became serious. Xiaolin's mother was worried that Xiaolin was growing too fast, so she took her to the endocrinology department. After the examination, the endocrinologist of Shenzhen Children's Hospital suggested that the child's bone age be measured. The result showed that the bone age was nearly 2 years older. Based on the height of her parents and other factors, the doctor estimated that she would not reach 150cm. The doctor recommended intervention treatment and injection of height growth injection, that is, growth hormone.

"I have always been worried that my child would not grow taller than me, so I have started the injection. We have been injecting for 26 days now, and the child has grown about 1cm taller." Xiaolin's mother said, "Except for some swelling at the injection site, there are no other adverse reactions."

▲ Xiaolin does exercise after injecting growth hormone (photo from Xiaolin's mother)

Regarding the side effects, Xiaolin's mother told reporters: "Xiaolin's growth hormone injection was recommended by the chief physician after a comprehensive examination at the hospital. In his daily life, he also exercises with rope skipping, badminton and other sports. Xiaolin is only a few years away from epiphyseal closure. During the period of growth hormone injection, we also conducted regular examinations and adjusted the treatment according to the doctor's advice."

In contrast, Xiao Zhang's mother is cautious about growth hormone injections. Xiao Zhang is an 8-year-old boy, the youngest in the class and the shortest. Some time ago, he went to the Children's Health Department of the local tertiary hospital for a check-up. The doctor said that the child's bone age is normal, but due to genetics, according to the height of his parents, the child will not exceed 167cm. If he wants to grow taller, he can intervene and try growth hormone injections, but because there is a history of diabetes in the family, Xiao Zhang's mother is very worried and refuses to inject growth hormone.

"Experts say that the peak period of growth hormone secretion is from 21:00 to 1:00 in the morning, so we turn off the lights around 9 o'clock every night. I also buy some books about nutritious breakfast and make nutritious breakfast. I take my child to skip rope and do outdoor sports. I improve his diet, sleep and exercise, so that he can grow taller." Xiao Zhang's mother told reporters.

The height of the child is indeed a concern of every mother. As the summer vacation is approaching, many parents go to the hospital for consultation, hoping to use height-increasing injections to make their children taller. So in the eyes of countless parents of children who are troubled by height issues, has it really become a "magic drug"?

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The "height-increasing injection" that made Messi taller

In fact, the threshold is very high

Investigations and studies have found that the "height-increasing injections" currently being discussed actually refer to growth hormone, a peptide hormone secreted by the anterior lobe of the human pituitary gland. In 1956, Raben, an endocrinologist in Boston, USA, separated and purified growth hormone (HGH) from the human pituitary gland and subsequently used it to treat growth hormone deficiency (GHD). Growth hormone has anabolic effects, can increase muscle mass, promote bone growth in childhood and adolescence, and strengthen tendons and enlarge internal organs.

The famous Argentine football player Messi was diagnosed with dwarfism caused by growth hormone deficiency when he was 11 years old. At the age of 13, his height was only that of an 8-year-old child. After treatment with growth hormone injections, Messi's height eventually reached 170cm, which played an important role in his becoming a football star.

So, since growth hormone is effective for bone growth, can everyone who has height problems be injected with growth hormone?

Wu Wanshui, chief physician of the Department of Pediatrics at Beijing Century Altar Hospital, said that the full name of growth hormone is recombinant human growth hormone. This height-increasing injection is generally used for diseases such as short stature, precocious puberty, and idiopathic dwarfism caused by growth hormone deficiency or insufficiency. The growth of the human body is a systemic growth, and the most prominent part of the growth is the long bones of the limbs. Many people go to the hospital to check whether the epiphyseal line has closed. In fact, they are checking the long bones. The long bones are divided into the backbone and the epiphysis. The cartilage between the epiphysis and the backbone is the epiphyseal line. The epiphyseal cartilage continues to proliferate and gradually ossify, so the bone can continue to grow and people can grow taller. When the epiphyseal cartilage is completely ossified, the backbone and the epiphysis are connected as one, and the natural growth of the limbs stops. Therefore, for adults who are eager to grow taller after the epiphysis is closed, the effect of injecting growth hormone is not good.

(Photo from Guangming.com)

Wu Wanshui said that he has also encountered some anxious parents in clinical practice. After testing, the child's height is within the normal range. At the same time, according to the growth curve, the child's height at the age of 18 is predicted to be about 1.7 meters. However, the parents are not satisfied and still require growth hormone injections. Generally speaking, doctors do not recommend it.

"For children who want to receive growth hormone injections, we should fully understand the child's growth and development, growth curve, bone age, estimated final height, etc. before the injection, and do a series of examinations to rule out various diseases that cause short stature, and monitor possible abnormalities during the diagnosis and treatment process. For example, it is necessary to understand whether the child has thyroid disease, adrenal disease, tumors, genetic metabolic diseases, etc., and do related examinations such as bone age films, growth hormone, thyroid function, and reproductive hormone levels before the injection can be carried out." Director Wu told reporters.

Regarding whether children should be injected with growth hormone, Dr. Lin Ming from the Department of Pediatric Endocrinology at Wuhan Union Hospital also cautiously suggested that for children with short stature, it is necessary to conduct examinations such as the child's bone age and growth hormone secretion level, and to rule out various diseases before deciding whether growth hormone treatment is appropriate. For children who do suffer from dwarfism, growth hormone is currently considered the most effective treatment. Intervention through medication at the best time for treatment will promote the child's growth to a certain extent, but you must choose a regular medical institution.

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Growth hormone is a prescription drug and should be used with caution

Excessive use of growth hormone can reduce insulin sensitivity and cause glucose intolerance. According to foreign reports, 80% of growth hormone users suffer from diabetes and need insulin treatment. Other side effects may bring health risks such as endocrine disorders, femoral head slippage, and scoliosis to users.

"Growth hormone (HGH) is mainly secreted in large quantities during infancy or childhood to promote bone growth. Injection is effective for children with growth hormone deficiency, but adults should not inject it at will as there is a risk of inducing tumors or growth hormone tumors. In addition, growth hormone is a prescription drug and is generally suitable for children with growth hormone deficiency or patients with growth hormone deficiency after pituitary surgery, and must be administered under the guidance of a professional doctor." said Gao Shan, chief physician of the Department of Endocrinology, Beijing Chaoyang Hospital, Capital Medical University.

(Photo courtesy of the National Health Commission of the People's Republic of China)

Regarding whether growth hormone can be injected at will, Shi Shuai, a clinical pharmacist at the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region Maternal and Child Health Hospital, also explained: The commonly mentioned "growth hormone" is actually the abbreviation of "recombinant human growth hormone", which is a prescription drug and a Class B drug in medical insurance. According to the "Regulations on the Classification and Management of Prescription and Over-the-Counter Drugs" of the State Food and Drug Administration: prescription drugs must be dispensed, purchased and used with a prescription from a practicing physician or a practicing assistant physician. The National Health Commission's "Notice on Launching a Special Action to Severely Crack Down on Illegal Medical Cosmetology" clearly stipulates that injection beauty belongs to the category of medical cosmetology and must be carried out in medical institutions with legal qualifications. Individuals without medical qualifications who inject growth hormone into patients in medical institutions without legal qualifications are practicing medicine illegally and are illegal and criminal activities that endanger the personal safety of patients.

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There are scientific ways to increase height

But it is undeniable that height does have a great impact on a person's overall temperament and demeanor. Dr. Lin Ming from the Department of Pediatric Endocrinology at Wuhan Union Hospital said in an interview with the media that in fact, only a very small number of children really need growth hormone treatment. The vast majority of children only need regular diet, exercise, and sleep guidance, and height problems can be appropriately adjusted after birth.

In this regard, Wu Wanshui also told reporters: "Genetics is the determining factor of height. If the parents are not tall, the height of the child is unlikely to be very high. If the parents are of good height, the height of the child will generally not be too low. However, balanced nutrition, proper exercise, and adequate sleep can promote the release of growth hormone and promote the growth of children."

Xu Weisheng, associate researcher at the Institute of Nutrition and Health at the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, has studied children's nutrition and health. He said: "Balanced nutrition is the material guarantee for children's normal physical development and even lifelong health. Children and adolescents are in the growth and development stage, with heavy schoolwork and activeness. Children at this stage have relatively higher needs for energy and nutrients than adults. Balanced nutrition helps children and adolescents grow and develop and maintain appropriate weight gain."

"In daily diet, parents should pay attention to ensuring sufficient staple food in the three meals of children and adolescents, and achieve a good combination of coarse and fine foods to ensure adequate intake of mineral nutrients such as calcium, iron, and zinc. Appropriately increase the intake of vegetables, one pound of vegetables per day, of which dark-colored vegetables should account for more than half. Ensure half a pound of fresh seasonal fruits every day. Pay attention to choosing the right cooking method, check the nutrition labels of pre-packaged foods, and control the intake of oil, salt, and sugar." Xu Weisheng continued.

▲The content of general nutrients in some common fruits, Note: Data source: Yang Yuexin, editor-in-chief, Chinese Food Composition Table Standard Edition (6th Edition, Volume 1), Peking University Press, 2018

At the same time, good sleep is conducive to the secretion of growth hormone, so ensuring adequate sleep is beneficial to the growth and development of children. Japanese medical experts have found through years of research that during sleep, the peak amount of growth hormone secreted by the body is 5-7 times higher than the amount secreted during the day. And the secretion of growth hormone reaches its peak about 70 minutes after falling asleep.

In addition, sports, especially jumping sports (such as skipping rope), are beneficial to bone growth. Long-term physical activities are beneficial to speed up blood circulation and promote bone growth. Regular physical exercise can improve the blood supply to the epiphyseal cartilage at both ends of long bones, improve the growth ability of bone cells, and to a certain extent delay the disappearance of epiphyseal cartilage and prolong the growth period of height.

References:

[1] Xinhua News Agency: Should people with height anxiety get a “height-increasing injection”? Dangerous!

https://m.thepaper.cn/baijiahao_13889489

[2] Be careful! Some medical representatives lurk in hospitals to trick you into giving your child a “height-increasing injection”

https://baijiahao.baidu.com/s?id=1642918797438761702&wfr=spider&for=pc

[3] Spending 480,000 yuan to grow 1 cm taller! Xinhua News Agency investigates "height-increasing injections": There are health risks!

https://baijiahao.baidu.com/s?id=1707238978778220212&wfr=spider&for=pc

[4] The Growth Hormone Scam

http://bbs.tianya.cn/post-100-563420-1.shtml

[5]Rudman, D., Feller, AG, Nagraj, HS, Gergans, GA, Lalitha, PY, Goldberg, AF, Schlenker, RA, Cohn, L., Rudman, IW, & Mattson, DE (1990). Effects of human growth hormone in men over 60 years old. The New England journal of medicine, 32(1),1

[6]Ranke,MB,&Wit,JM(2018).Growth hormone-past,present and future.Nature reviews.Endocrinology,14(5),285–300.

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